Fragile Things
by Beccollie
Summary: My name is Kailani Howlett. I'm the daughter of Amaya and Logan Howlett, Wolverine and The Alchemist. They're X-Men like me. I moved to Central City to get away from all the craziness in my life. Unfortunately, being a powerful and slightly insane mutant doesn't have its perks. This is the story of how my life went from crazy to crazy, and I mean syfy crazy.
1. Meeting For The First Time

**So I decided to edit my story because when I thought it out in my head, the plot became really confusing. Kailani is still going to be the daughter of Wolverine and there will be mentions of Marvel in here too.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own The Flash, Marvel, and the X-Men. Nor do I own any lyrics to songs I might use throughout this story. Please enjoy and let me know what you guys think.**

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 **Kailani's P.O.V.**

 _Ding ding!_

"Excuse me?"

I yelped in surprise throwing my _Delirium_ book up into the air and I grabbed the first thing on my desk pointing it threateningly at the voice. Turns out I grabbed a neon yellow ruler and I had it aimed for a customer's throat...a cute customer's throat.

Blushing furiously, I apologized profusely. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" Frantically, I tossed the ruler under the counter only to wince at the sound of glass shattering underneath. The guy looked about 25 years old with green eyes, pale skin with a few freckles scattered around his face at random, and combed over brown hair. His clothes consist of a black sweatshirt with the words Star Labs in bold white letters, dark jeans, red converse sneakers, and a brown satchel.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I asked him rather loudly. "What can I do for you?" Smooth Lani. Real smooth.

"Um...I was wondering if I could buy this book?" The guy asked shyly and I held out my hand to see the book. He handed a familiar dark blue novel and I smiled at the Moby Dick title.

I nodded approvingly, "Moby Dick, huh? Good choice." He chuckled and I was inwardly swooning.

"Are you new here in Central City?" He asked curiously and I shrugged sheepishly.

"Is it that obvious?" I asked sarcastically and I told him the book costs $7.50. He handed me the money and when our hands touched, my knees nearly buckled at the warmth and softness of his long fingers.

"No, it's just that I've never seen you before," he explained cheerfully and I raised an eyebrow up in amusement.

"So you're the guy who knows everyone?"

"Well, I was raised in Central City, so I'd like to think I know the majority of the people in the city," he clarified and I smiled slightly. Putting the book inside an Eco-friendly brown paper bag the receipt slowly began to print, until it stopped halfway. Growling in annoyance, I grabbed my _10,000 Leagues Under The Sea_ book and brought it down hard on the printer.

 ** _Boom!_**

The guy jumped and opened his mouth to say something before I gave the machine another two thwhacks with the book. He raised an eyebrow up in confusion and I gave him a blank look. "You'd be surprised by how many times that works." He burst out laughing and I couldn't help the warm bubbly feeling inside of me.

"I hear you. The same thing happens with one of the forensic machines at CCPD," I stared at him in surprise.

"You work for the CCPD?"

"As a forensic assistant,"

I nodded in understanding. "That makes more sense. You have the look of a scientist."

He smiled slightly. "I look smart?" I looked down bashful and chuckled nervously. "Thanks." Why am I so embarrassed? I'm not a bashful person, except for when I screw up in front of a large crowd of people. Stupid hormones and cute guys.

Taking a silent and deep breath, I looked up into his kind green eyes and gave him a confident smile. "Your welcome Mr..."

His smile seemed plastered and effortless to his face "Allen. Barry Allen, and you are...?"

"Lani Howlett."

 ** _Buzz buzz!_**

Barry pulled out his smartphone and frowned as he answered the phone.

"Hello?" Barry asked cautiously. _My boss_ he mouthed and I nodded in sympathy. Face falling, he sighed heavily and sent me a sad smile. "I'll be right there, sir."

"I'm really sorry about this, but I've gotta go," Barry apologized sincerely and I smiled in understanding.

"It's fine. Go solve a crime and help save the day," I told him with a grin, "I'll just be here with my books." I reassured him with an enigmatic grin.

He smiled amusedly. "I here they're great company."

I smirked slightly. "That's why I run this little bookstore."

"I'll see you later, then?"

I blinked up at him in surprise, "If you want to. I'll be here." He grinned before grabbing the bag and dashing out of the store, but not without waving good-bye outside the glass window. Barry. Barry Allen. What a nice name.

 **Several Hours Later...**

Unlocking the door, I pushed open the door breathing in the smell of Bri's homemade angel hair spaghetti. "Home sweet home."

"Lani, is that you?" Bri called from the kitchen. I shrugged out of my black leather jacket and kicked off my black combat boots into the wooden closet under the staircase.

"Yeah it's me!"

"How was your day?" Bri is my best friend in the whole world. Her mom asked my mom to adopt her, when she was 5 years old. We've grown up attached to the hip, and we're roommates. I flopped onto the black couch with an exaggerated and contented sigh.

"It was pretty good. I met this cute guy at the bookstore today,"

 ** _Crash!_**

Bri came running and screaming into the living room with a gleeful glint in her gray eyes, and I curled up into a ball to protect myself from the impact of Bri's petite body leaping on top of me. The wind was knocked out of me and I cried out in mock agony as she kept jumping on top of me. The wind was knocked out of me and I cried out in mock agony as she kept jumping on top of me. Once she calmed down, Bri grabbed me by the shoulders and demanded that I tell her all the details. Amusedly, I recounted to her my short encounter with Barry Allen.

Bri burst out laughing with tears streaming down her cheeks, and she says with a mock patronizing tone. "Oh, Lani, only you could manage to do something like that."

I shrugged and shoved her off of me onto the hardwood floor with a loud thud. She sat up pouting with her long, curly auburn hair hanging in her porcelain oval shaped face.

I whacked her in the head with a green pillow and said with a grin, "I'm just special like that."


	2. Iris West & The Bet

**Hi guys, I'm sorry for not updating this for a while, but I've been busy with end of the school year stuff. Anyways, here's another chapter and please tell me what you guys think.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the Flash or X-Men the movie. Also, I don't own the lyrics to the song Incorruptible nor do I own Danny Phantom, who will be mentioned throughout this story. Enjoy!**

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"So are you going to see him again?" Bri asked curiously and I shrugged in response. "What kinda response is that?"

"I don't know. I told him I'd be at the Hideout. If he wants to see me again, he can find me where everybody else finds me," I replied.

"Hey that's a good sign. It means he likes you!" Bri squealed giddily and I rolled my in exasperation.

"You know I'm not looking for a boyfriend, especially after me and Danny broke up," I reminded her. I instantly felt guilty after watching her excited face fall, but I didn't want to get her hopes up over something that might end up going nowhere.

"I know that you really loved Danny, Lani, but you have to move on at some point in your life." Bri told me softly and I stood up with a shake of my head. She stood up as well taking my hands in delicate ones and squeezed them reassuringly.

"Love...doesn't even begin to cover how I feel about him," I answered feeling the familiar ache in my heart. My appetite suddenly gone, I told her to save me some pasta while I went downstairs to the basement.

That's where all my sparring and training equipment is for both me and Bri to train with, but I'm the only one who really uses it. The basement is the largest room in the house since it was built several meters underground. It's large enough to hold a barbel with a few varying weights beside the bench, a treadmill, a large yoga ball, a rather large sparring mat, a pull-up bar, a stationary bicycle, and (my personal favorite) a large punching bag.

"...do you want me to spar with you?" Bri asked hesitantly and I smiled weakly. She's not a big fan of sparring with me.

I shook my head, and I couldn't help a small chuckle at her sigh of relief. "No offense, but when we spar together I fear for my life."

"I am my father's daughter." I huffed and she grinned. My dad is the Wolverine from the X-Men. What? You thought I was a normal, klutzy bookworm? Never judge a book by its cover.

"There's my big, brave bookworm!" I laughed feeling my spirits lift from my abyss of sadness. After that she went back upstairs to eat dinner, and I wrapped my calloused hands in boxing tape. My dad used to be a street fighter, and me being daddy's little girl, begged him to teach me some fighting techniques. After years of begging, he eventually consented to teaching me the art of self defense. He taught me boxing, taiko do and many other forms of martial arts, and I was a fast learner. I'm daddy's best student.

Looking at the mirror beside my punching bag, I couldn't help smiling.

I have my mother's heart-shaped face and her honey brown highlights. The most striking feature that I inherited from her are my mother's sparkling arctic blue eyes with thick dark eyelashes. Most people would say I didn't inherit much in the looks department from my dad, but if you look closely enough you can see hints of him in me. I have his thick dark brown hair and his tanned skin tone.

Stepping away from the mirror, I turned on my iPhone to choose a song to play while using the punching bag. Whenever I use the punching bag I like to box to a specific rhythm that helps me stay focused and ignore the world around me. I pressed play once I found the perfect song and put up the volume on top of the bench press. As the beat and the drums started up I got into a defensive stance in front of the punching bag.

 _Nothing can slow me down,_

 _Cause I ain't got no time to spare,_

 _Nothing can stop me now,_

 _And I'm breathing like I'm already there,_

 _Incorruptible,_

 _For this life I live,_

 _Incorruptible,_

 _I'm only in it to win it,_

"Lani! Come eat your damn food before you over work yourself!" Bri shouted from upstairs and I snapped out of my boxing trance wiping away stray tears from my eyes. Sometimes I get so caught up in the sound of my fists pummeling the punching bag to the beat of the song that I need someone to pull me back into the real world. I get so caught up in the past that I forget to live in the present and my future doesn't seem so clear. One moment I knew exactly what the rest of my life would be like, then everything wasn't so clear. The future isn't set in stone.

"Coming, mother!" I exclaimed with a small grin as I unraveled the white tape from my bruised hands.

"Who are you calling 'mother'? We're the same age!" I burst out laughing, throwing the tape onto the workbench before dashing up the stairs. I'm learning to just roll with it.

 **The Next Day...**

The Hideout started out as an old antique store whose owners were more than happy to get rid of. They weren't getting a lot of customers anymore and the old couple who owned the store just wanted to retire in peace, and because they were falling behind on paying the store's bills as a result of it's few customers. After moving to Central City, I decided to run a bookstore to get my mind off of my last job. Let's just say that my last job isn't very...popular nowadays. I was on medical leave and needed a fresh start away from all the craziness back home.

 _Ding ding!_

I looked up to see Barry Allen and a pretty, no gorgeous, African American woman talking amiably walk into the store and I couldn't help feeling a little bit jealous. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not the type of girl who doesn't think she's beautiful. Plenty of guys have given me lots of compliments on my looks.

She's a head shorter than Barry, but that's understandable since he's like a really tall bean pole and I mean that in the nicest way possible. Her hair is black, long and naturally curly at the end, she's got some really nice curves, high cheekbones, and her eyes are a rich chocolate color that sparkle.

"Hey, Lani," Barry greeted with a grin and the girl looked between us confusedly. Probably wondering who her boyfriend's new friend is.

"Hi Barry, it's nice to see you again," I said with a small smile.

"This is my best friend, Iris West. Iris, this Lani the girl I told you about," Barry introduced us to each other. Beautiful name for a beautiful girl.

"Hi, and can I just say that this place is absolutely amazing!" Iris exclaimed excitedly and I couldn't help feeling a burst of pride blossom inside. It took me and my family months to get this place up and running, and it took ages just to get the store decorated the way it is.

My store is decorated almost like a cross between a tree house and a pirate's cove on the inside. The store's interior design is set up with the more modern and popular novels near the front of the store in large, dark mahogany bookcases that reach up to 10 ft in height. Books by famous literature authors such as Charles Dickens, Shakespeare, and Edgar Ellen Poe were more towards the back. Decorations include tropical flowers, some fake and some real (courtesy of Bri), grew in small, colorful vases on the top shelves of bookcases along with some vines dangling over the edge. There were candles scattered throughout the first floor to give the store a mysterious look. There were a couple of tropical and pirate themed paintings around the store, some tropical birds hung from the ceiling, barrels full of books, and we even had a little water-rock fountain beside the counter. Colorful paper lanterns glowed dimly as they were strung across the ceiling with ropes. A spiral staircase lead up to a second floor designed for relaxation and reading. Mahogany couches with dark green and red cushioning, chairs and tables with Kindles and computers for research purposes. The best part is the huge bay window that lets in waves of sunlight and displays a perfect view of the downtown area of the city.

"Thanks, it took a while to get this place up and running," I explained as she looked around the store in awe. "Is there anything I can do for you two?" I asked politely and Iris's attention returned back to me.

"Barry says you're new here to Central City, so I thought it'd be nice if we could show you around," Iris beamed.

"Um...I don't know," I trailed uncertainly and her eyes were filled with hurt as her smile fell. "I have to-"

"She would love to," Bri stated with an ear splitting grin and they jumped back in surprise. I wasn't all that phased by this since Bri has a habit of appearing out of nowhere from just about anywhere.

"This is Bri, my foster sister, best friend, and partner in crime fighting," I replied with an exasperated smile, shaking my head as she made her amber eyes go cross eyed. Barry and Iris chuckled in amusement.

"It's not everyday that I get to meet some of little Lani's friends," Bri said as she pinched my cheek and I bit her hand. She cried out, clutching her hand in pain and I couldn't help feeling a twinge of guilt. I have a tendency of playing rough with others, which usually ends with Bri getting hurt.

"Stop giving people the impression that I'm the baby of the family," I snapped irritatedly and in retaliation she stuck out her tongue at me, "someone has to keep an eye on the store." I reminded her pointedly.

Grinning from ear to ear like a child on Christmas Day, she exclaimed, "I'll run the store for you while you're gone." I stared at her blankly.

I raised an eyebrow skeptically,"You'll watch the store while I'm gone?" She displayed her best puppy dog pout. I don't trust her when she has that little glint in her eyes. You can tell because her ember eyes become a tad bit brighter.

Bri nodded vigorously and I bit my lip in hesitation. "Don't you trust me?" That did it. I threw my hands up in exasperation and Bri cheered.

"The store better not be reduced to rubble by the time I get back, ya hear?" She feigned indifference as she shoved us out of the store with half hearted farewells. I did a double take upon noticing how dark it was outside. Sometimes I lose track of time while working at the _Hideout_.

"She seemed...nice?" Barry trailed hesitantly and I smirked.

"If you lived with her for most of your life you wouldn't say that," I replied sarcastically and they stared at me confusedly. "I know she can be a bit much, but she always means well. People who said they were my friends had a habit of walking out on me for someone else. She never did." I explained with a sad smile.

"Well, I think you and Bri seem like great people. Strange, but good people," Iris stated with a warm smile and I looked down with a bashful smile.

"So where are we going first?" I asked hastily, trying to change the subject.

"To the movies!" Iris and Barry cheered with goofy grins and I couldn't help smiling an amused grin.

"What kind of movie are we watching?"

"A horror movie," Barry explained with an excited grin and I smirked.

"There's not a single horror movie that can scare me," I stated confidently and they both looked at me surprised as we walked down the lit streets of Central City.

"You're not afraid of any horror movie?" Iris asks in disbelief and I shook my head.

"I don't believe you," Barry exclaims in disbelief and I shrugged casually.

"Wanna bet your money on that?" I asked with an eyebrow raised in amusement.

"If you make even the slightest sound or face of fear, then you have to pay me 20 bucks," Barry replied with an easygoing smile.

"And if I win, you have to pay me $20. Deal?" I said with a smile and I extended my hand out for him to shake.

He took my small, calloused hand in his longer and smooth hand with a determined grin. "Deal."

A spark passed through our hands as we touched. It wasn't a painful jolt, but it couldn't have gone unnoticed by Barry. Weird.


	3. Pretty Names & Investigations

**Hello again everyone! Here's a new chapter that I hope you guys like. There will be mentions of Girl Meets World in this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own The Flash, X-Men the movie, neither Girl Meets World. I also don't own any of the lyrics to the songs I'll use throughout this story either.**

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"That was one of the most boring horror movies I've seen in a long time." I stated bluntly without flinching at the chilly breeze that blew passed us. Both Barry and Iris stared at me incredulously as they tightened their jackets.

"How are you not freezing?" Iris demanded in shock as she stared at my outfit. It consisted of a long-sleeved red and black plaid shirt, dark skinny jeans, black converse, and black fingerless gloves.

"I grew up in Canada for most of my childhood before moving to New York City," I explained drily. "Two extremely cold places in North America." I pointed out and she shook her head amusedly.

"Still, it's pretty brisk out," Barry replied with a concerned look and I shrugged casually. Another reason is because of my powers. I inherited my mother's ability to control chemical reactions, and I manipulate my body temperature to keep me warm. After doing it for so long, it's become second nature to me, and so my body does it automatically during the fall and winter time. But it's not like I'm going to tell him that, and as result, I must act nonchalant about it like its not a big deal.

"Regular movie scale that was a 7 or an 8. Zombie movie scale it was like a...4 tops," Barry says snapping me back to the present.

"There's a zombie movie scale?" Iris asks confusedly and I raised an eyebrow up in curiosity.

"Yep. Hey, did you know zombies exist in nature?" Barry continued excitedly with a grin. "There's a species of fungi that infects ants causing them to attack plants that can release spores, which in turn affects new hosts-I'm going full nerd on again, aren't I?" Barry rambles with a slight frown and I burst out laughing.

"Yup." Iris says amusedly and he nods in embarrassment. He's adorably and awkwardly funny. Too bad he's got eyes only for Iris. I've noticed the lingering and dopey looks he keeps sending her way, and all the while she's oblivious to it. Talk about being clueless. And people thought me and Danny were clueless.

"Yup, it's okay, though, you're still the cutest nerd I know," Iris reassures him as she eats her popcorn from her small popcorn bucket that she barely managed to hide from Barry throughout the movie.

"I've read an article about natural zombies before," I added with a grin after calming down. He looks at me with a small smile of slight relief and my stomach did a weird tumble roll.

"Anyways, I am a lot more interested in the amazing as of late," Iris says and I stare at her curiously.

"Because of The Streak thing?" Barry asks in a less than enthusiastic voice.

"He's out there, people have been talking about him," Iris protests in annoyance.

"Who's the Streak?" I asked confusedly and Iris stops to look at me in disbelief. "What? I haven't been to Central City for long." I said crossing my arms defensively.

"He's Central City's hero that saves people faster than the eye can blink. Few people have ever been able to see him when he's not running, all they see is a red blur leaving the scene," Iris explains excitedly and I ponder what she just told me. Could this person be another mutant, or is it just someone who was affected by Harrison Wells's particle accelerator?

"How do you even know he's a he? Maybe it's a she?" Barry asks innocently and Iris glared at him. Is this Streak trying to do good or are they just doing this for the thrill?

"It's a man, okay? You know I'm really intuitive about this stuff," Iris protests defensively. "Someone even posted a picture after being yanked from a car accident. It's a red blur leaving the scene. Here, what do you see?" Iris asks holding her phone up for us to see. Barry's face falls as a picture of her boyfriend appears on the screen.

"I see your boyfriend calling," Barry told her blankly and she walks a few feet away to answer him. At least they're not dating, but it sucks because Barry still has feelings for Iris.

 _I feel alright I'm gonna take on the world,_

 _Light up the sky I've got some pages to turn,_

 _I'm singing oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh,_

 _Take on the world, take on the world,_

 _Take on the world_ ,

I took out my phone with a bemused smile as Barry chuckled amusedly at my ringtone.

"Yes, Butterfly?" I asked with a small smile. Then Barry answers his phone worriedly, but I'm not focused on him.

"I need some advice," Riley stated uneasily and I focus my attention on her. Riley's one of my younger friends from New York City. I met her and her best friend Maya when I was a teenager with Bri. They were 8 years old while me and Bri were 18. Ever since we've met they have looked up to us for years, and they often went to us for advice.

"Okay, what do you need?" I asked curiously.

 _Whoosh!_

I whirled around to see what made that noise with so many people around. Nothing seems to be out of place, except that Barry seems to have disappeared. That's odd.

"There's this girl in school whose name is Missy Bradford. She's been flirting with Lucas," Riley explained nervously and I frowned thoughtfully. Riley met Lucas on the subway recently and from what she and Maya have told me, Riley has more than friendly feelings towards Lucas. Honestly, I ship the two.

"Okay, and how have you been holding up?" I asked her patiently and she sighed heavily. 1. 2. 3.

"I can't stand it! Missy's booping him on the nose! 'Lucas will you go to the movies with me? You'll hold me close won't you?' Ugh!" Riley ranted loudly and I flinched. One of my mutant abilities is heightened senses, which means every taste, sound, touch, vision, and hearing are amplified.

"Barf! Barf I say!" Riley shouted indignantly.

"Would you like him to take you to the movies and hold you close?" I asked her with an amused smile. A pause.

"I don't think I'm ready for that just yet," Riley confessed and I couldn't help feeling proud of her. Most teens would try to come up with an elaborate plan or dive into a relationship head first without considering the responsibilities with being in a relationship.

"Then, what do you want me to tell you?"

"I want you to teach me how to flirt, so I can keep Lucas away from Missy," I burst out laughing hysterically and a lot of people gave me weird looks.

"Oh, Riley, I'm not exactly the best person to teach you how to flirt," I giggled and she sighed heavily. "Sweetie, is Lucas the kind of guy who likes a girl by how well she flirts with him?" I asked sternly.

"Nope."

"And he doesn't like you just because you're beautiful, right?"

"...no..."

"Does he value your friendship?"

"Yes."

"Sweetheart, then, you have nothing to worry about. Real best friends don't leave you for someone whose supposedly better, especially guy friends," I explained with a sympathetic smile that I wish she could see. "I highly doubt that Lucas is going to let some flirty chic that's interested in him get in the way of your friendship. That's the beauty of friendship, all you have to do is trust them."

"Thanks, Lani. You always know just what to say," Riley breathed and I chuckled.

"Thank Bri for teaching me that. Is that all or is there something else you need to talk about?"

"No, that was basically it. Maya told me something along those same lines," I smirked.

"Tell Maya I said hi and that I miss my little sidekick," Riley mumbled something and I heard Maya tell her that she misses me too.

"She says hi and that she misses her role model," Riley stated and I smiled sadly. I left New York City 3 years ago to backpack around the country, and I've only visited a handful of times since then.

"I miss you guys, too," I said with a sad smile that they couldn't see. "Maybe you guys could come over for Christmas," I suggested hopefully, but knowing the chances were slim to none.

"Maybe," Riley agreed. "We gotta go, now. Bye, Lani. We love and miss you with all our hearts!" Riley proclaimed affectionately. My heart turned to mushy slush at that.

"Aww, same to you girls. Central City just isn't the same as home without my little apprentices. Bye," I cooed appreciating the fact that they both made valiant efforts to keep in touch with me, despite the long distances between us. I ended the call with a content smile.

 _Whoosh!_

I whirled around to see Barry standing in the same spot he disappeared from a few minutes ago with a cheerful smile. Where did he go? When did he get back? What was that whoosh?

"Who were you talking to on your phone?" Barry asked curiously and I chuckled slightly.

"Just to one of my little friends back in New York," I told him nostalgically and he tilted his head to the side with a cute grin. My breath caught in my throat for a moment as he stared at me with a little glint in his green eyes. Does he not know how adorable he looks when he's making that face? I swear he's going to be the death of me. Where are all these thoughts coming from?

"What?"

"Nothing...I've just never noticed how blue your eyes are," I blushed bright red and I looked away embarrassed. My eyes can throw people off.

"Um...thanks?" I asked unsurely and he flushed bright pink.

"Don't worry that's just Barry's way of saying that you have pretty eyes," Iris teased with a smirk. That just made me blush harder and I saw his cheeks turn a bright red all the way to his ears. It was endearing.

"Hey, do you girls wanna get something to eat? I'm famished," Barry said quickly changing the subject and I stared at him incredulously.

"After eating that Mongolian barbecue before coming to the movies and ordering an extra large popcorn, how are you not fat?" Iris dead panned and he shrugged sheepishly.

"I've been...jogging." Barry answered goofily. I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. My instincts were screaming that there was something off about Barry. But why? It was like I was missing a key piece of information. I ignore my suspicions for now and I'll deal with them later.

 **The** **Next** **Day...**

"So...there's a vigilante in Central City, too?" Bri asked confusedly and I nodded as we brought in the new boxes filled with the new shipment of books. Every couple of weeks we get a new shipment of books and we spend the day organizing and pricing the hundreds of books inside. We get about 300 books for every new shipment.

"Apparently so," I say thoughtfully.

"What are you thinking about, now?" I turned to her biting my lip in hesitation.

"After Iris and I answered our phones, there was this random whoosh of air rushing passed us and when I turned around, Barry had disappeared for several minutes," I explained carefully. We remained silent in contemplation for a few moments.

"What do your instincts say?" Bri asked breaking the tense silence. Few people come to the Hideout at five in the afternoon, so we're able to speak relatively freely.

"They're telling me to be wary of Barry, that there's something off about him," I stated without hesitation and we locked eyes for a moment.

"Wanna do a little detective investigation together?" Bri suggested slyly as she slapped price tags on the back of the new books.

"Do you even have to ask?" I retorted with a grin.

"Squee!" Bri shouted with glee and she pulled her MacBook out from underneath the table to get started.

 _Ding ding!_

I looked up to see Barry walk into the store followed by two men in suits. One is a tall young man with pale skin, blonde hair, pale blue eyes, and a blonde scruff on his chin. The other man was an older, African American with dark brown eyes, black hair on the sides of his head while the rest is bald, and a pot belly. He looks an awful lot like Iris.

"Hey, Lani, hi, Bri," Barry greeted with his usual easygoing smile. I forced a casual grin on my face and mentally yelled at Bri to abort our investigation until later.

"Hi, Barry," we chorused at the same time. We tend to do things in sync when we're nervous and trying to hide something from my parents.

"What are you doing here?" I asked after sharing an annoyed glance with Bri. She just shrugs innocently, picks up the books she finished labeling and takes them to the back of the store.

"This is Detective Joe West and his partner Eddie Thawne," Barry introduced the two men to me with a nervous smile. I smiled kindly.

"Pleasure to meet you, gentlemen. I'm Kailani Howlett and welcome to my Hideout," I greeted politely and Detective West shook my hand firmly.

"The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Howlett," Detective West said with a smile.

"You're name's Kailani?" Barry asked in astonishment and I flushed uncomfortably. I've always been a bit touchy about my name. It's not really a normal name.

"I know my name is a little...weird, you don't need to rub it in," I groaned with a sheepish grin.

"No, no, I didn't mean it like that," Barry protested with wide eyes, "I think your name is really beautiful. It's Hawaiian for the sea and sky. A person with the name Kailani usually has a deep desire for love and companionship. They also want to work with others to achieve peace and harmony." Barry rambled turning a deeper shade of red with each word.

"Yeah...um...thanks. I guess. That more or less sums up the goals for my life," I say, shocked that he even knew the significance of my name.

"Anyways," Detective West trailed as looked between us with confusion. "I'm just going to ask you a few questions about what you might've seen last night that happened across the street with the gas attack," Detective West explained calmly and I nodded, trying to get my heart back under control.

"Sure, but I don't really know much, sir," I replied honestly and he nodded.

"Okay, so where were you last night?"

"I was here with Bri until 6 pm just about to close up shop for the night," I began calmly as Eddie started writing everything down, "then, Barry and Iris came by at around the same time to take me to the movies. We were there until about 8 pm, and they were walking me back here so I could pick up Bri and go home." I explained and he nodded.

"Did you see anything strange happening when you were all coming back from the movies?" I shook my head.

"No, we just saw a group of men having a meeting at the store across the street, but if you want I can call Bri out here to answer anymore questions," I offered and he nodded.

"That would be very helpful," Detective West said tiredly and I smiled sympathetically.

"It's hard work being a homicide detective, isn't it?" I asked in understanding and he smiled humorlessly. "Bri! The police want to ask you questions!" I shouted.

 _Crash!_

"I'm okay!" Bri exclaimed and dashed up to the counter breathing heavily, still clutching a thick book in her hands. With a broom in one hand to sweep up the store, I moved away from the counter as Detective West started questioning Bri gently.

"Kailani?" I stopped in front of the nearest bookcase about to sweep.

"Barry, you can call me Lani if you want to," I reassured him calmly as he walked over to where I stood, satchel bumping against his hip along the way.

"Right, um, I'm sorry for freaking you out earlier with your name and everything," he said apologizing sincerely and I gave him a small smile.

"It's okay," I told him with a chuckle. "Am I right to assume that that was your way of saying I have a pretty name?" I giggled as his cheeks turned bright red.

"Pretty much," Barry muttered with a bashful smile and I giggled in amusement.

"So, what's going on here?"

"Just an investigation. The head of the Darbinyan mob family and his crew were murdered by poisonous gas," Barry explained with a thoughtful expression. There was something about the case that seemed to be troubling him.

Taking a chance, I ask him, "Is there something wrong?"

"It's just...the nature of the case is strange," Barry replied with a frown.

"How so?" I asked leaning back against the bookcase.

"The gas originated in the same place, so it should've affected everyone at the same time," Barry explained with frantic hand gestures.

"But why didn't it?" I pressed thoughtfully and Barry sighed in frustration.

"I don't know," Barry admitted in defeat. "The gas seemed to have a mind of it's own as it looks like it picked off each person one by one." Barry added with a humorless smile and I stared at him confusedly.

"Allen, stop flirting with Ms. Howlett," a sour looking man commanded and Barry whirled around in alarm. "We got a job to do." The man added scornfully and I raised an eyebrow.

"No offense, sir, but he was just being polite," I stated calmly, ignoring the look of panic on Barry's face. "People up North are pretty bitter and rude because of the cold. Are you from the North?" I asked innocently. He narrowed his eyes as he approached us.

"Watch how you speak with the captain of the your city's police," the man warned and I tilted my head to the side unimpressed.

"In order to receive respect, you need to earn it," I stated with a smirk. "at least, that's what my mother taught me." I sassed. With a sickly sweet smile plastered across my face, I turned on my heel and began sweeping up the back of the store, ignoring the weird stares thrown my way.

* * *

"I can't believe you actually snapped at the captain like that," Bri exclaimed in horror and I shrugged as we sat together in the living room.

"This is me we're talking about," I pointed out as I scrolled through recent articles about the Particle Accelerator. There's been a lot of talk about it lately and if we're gonna investigate The Streak, then we need to gather as much evidence about recent events as possible. After the police left, we decided to close the store earlier today since it was pretty quiet afterwards.

"You should be used to these things by now," I added distractedly and she grunted in agreement.

One article by the Central City Picture News states that apparently there was a malfunction in the engines brought on by an anomaly the night of the explosion. At the same time there was a massive storm brewing that helped the machine kill and injure hundreds of civilians that night. Not to mention the property damage it caused around the entire city. We found that crime rates have spiked phenomenally in the past nine months caused by unexplainable incidents.

"So I'm gonna go out on a whim here, and say that the Streak was one of the victims of the Particle Accelerator's explosion," Bri suggested in a bored tone and I hummed in agreement. A pop up appeared out of nowhere and I clicked on it curiously.

"Huh, well what do yah know," I huffed with a small smile.

"What?" Bri asked curiously as she hovered over my shoulder.

"Looks like Iris has been busy," I drawled, scrolling through her blog. I'd totally forgotten about her blog on the Streak.

"Damn, she's been more than just busy," Bri commented in awe. "She's practically obsessed with the Streak." Bri added thoughtfully.

"No kidding." I read through every single post, which wasn't many to begin with.

"She's really good at this stuff," Bri exclaimed after closing her laptop with a sigh.

"Yep," I said popping the p at the end. I stood up and stretched out the kinks in my back from sitting on the sofa for so long.

"What do you wanna do now?" Bri asked lazily and I shrugged.

"Don't know. I might just go to bed or stargaze or something," I stated with a yawn.

 _I'm back, back from the dead,_

 _Got you running scared,_

 _I'm fearless, I'm fearless,_

Frowning nervously, I answered my phone. "Hello?"

"Meet me outside on your porch, now. It's urgent." The person demanded before hanging up immediately. I sighed heavily as Bri laid down on the couch with her eyes closed, but I knew she heard what the person said.

"Have fun, dear." I mock glared at her before stepping outside reluctantly.

"It's been awhile, Howlett," there stood the one and only Agent Phil Couslon. He's about 5 foot 8, with dark brown hair on the sides of his head while being bald on top, brown eyes, pale skin, and just about always dressed in a suit and tie.

"About two years to be exact," I pointed out, leaning against the side of the doorframe. "What do you want, Coulson? I know you're not here for small talk." I dead panned and he nodded.

"It's about the Theta Protocol," Coulson said and I raised an eyebrow, telling him to continue. "Shield is trying to get rid of all lingering Hydra operations," Coulson explained expressionless. He's normally like this when it's about something serious.

"How's that working out for you?" I drawled already knowing what his answer would be. Trying to put an end to all Hydra operations is like trying to put an end to drinking alcohol.

"It's been difficult, but we're managing," Coulson responded with a shrug. "Anyways, Theta Protocol is for when the Avengers are needed to assemble again." Coulson stated slowly and I pressed the palms of my hands against my eyes in frustration.

"You're telling me this why? Why not before?" I growled with warning sirens going off in my head. As if I wasn't paranoid enough after the battle of New York. Two years ago, Bri and I were "asked" to join the Avengers Initiative to help stop an egotistical Norse mythology maniac from taking over the planet with an alien army and an energy source strong enough to decimate the planet. I say "asked" because in reality they more or less threatened to take over Xavier's School of Gifted Youngsters. The school is a safe haven in Westchester, New York, for mutants who don't know how to control their abilities or don't have anywhere else to go. My family moved there after I turned 10 years old in a last ditch effort to gain control of my various abilities. Two of them being to manipulate all forms of matter and manipulate any chemical reaction.

"It was supposed to be a contingency plan," Coulson answered defensively. "My team, Rogers, Romanoff, and the few remaining Shield agents that are left have been holding our own for quite some time, but we need you and Bri-" I cut him off with one of my intense glares.

"Bri and I aren't getting involved in anymore of Shield's plans," I snapped irritatedly and he opened his mouth to protest. "We're your very last resort. That was the deal we made two years ago." I reminded him through gritted teeth.

"Plans have changed."

"BS," I retorted and he glared at me. "We're not Shield's tools that you put away and take out whenever you feel threatened." I snarled and he took a step forward.

"I know that," Coulson snapped and I bit my tongue to refrain from yelling. "I came here to warn both of you so you'd be prepared for when we'll need you. Because it's not a matter of 'if' we'll need you, it's about 'when' we'll need you." Coulson explained calmly and I instantly felt guilty. Coulson was one of the few agents of Shield at the time who actually trusted and vouched for us on multiple occasions. Humans have always had tension with the mutant community, but Coulson was one of the few brave souls to stick up for us.

"I'm sorry, Phil," I apologized sincerely. "Things have been tense regarding Shield back home after it went down. I still haven't forgiven Fury for threatening us, and when it was discovered that Shield had been infiltrated by Hydra for decades it just added fuel to the flames." I explained exhaustedly. Back at the Mansion everyone viewed me and Bri as traitors, except for a select few for several months. Not being able to handle the drama anymore, me and Bri packed our bags for Central City.

"It's been tough all around for everyone," Coulson told me with a sympathetic smile. "I should've gotten straight to the point. I can only imagine how strained things are back home for you guys." Coulson added sincerely and I smiled slightly.

"Is that your way of apologizing?" I sasses and he rolled his eyes.

"Just...be careful, Lani," Coulson advised worriedly. "Hydra isn't the only threat out here in the real world." Coulson warned me and I nodded.

"I know."


End file.
